No Mercy
by BluePeanutbutter21
Summary: "So… what would you do if you fought your father, and he begged for mercy?" She pressed. "That's easy. I'd show him no mercy. He could burn and rot in hell for all I care." (Somewhat Katara!bashing)


"Hey, Aang. Zuko. How was training?" Sokka asked as the fire bender and avatar wearily walked into the cave after a long day of practicing fire bending techniques. Aang yawned, and stretched before sitting down next to Katara, who handed him a bowl of soup.

"It was good, but, tiring." Aang said, slurping up his soup hungrily. Katara scowled and angrily spun to face the fire bender behind her. He was leaning on the edge of the cave wall, arms crossed, and head tilted in concentration as he contemplated the wall opposite of him. The light of the flames shadowed his face, darkening the scar emblazoned over his eye, and making him seem all the more like a haunted spirit.

"What's your problem?" Katara demanded. Zuko looked up from his musings, surprise marring his face.

"What? What do you—"

"Why do you work Aang so hard? Are you trying to kill him, or something? Or are you just trying to make him so weak and tired that your _father_ will kill him easily?" She snipped, balling her fists at her side. Zuko's face tightened, and his eyes glinted at her accusations. The GAang looked up in surprise and worry.

"Calm down, Katara, I'm sure that Zuko isn't intentionally trying to hurt Aang; remember, he's on our side." Sokka said soothingly. Toph snorted from her roost on a perch of rock attached to the wall.

"Geez, Sugar Queen, calm your prissy little head. How many times have you tried to accuse Zuko of killing Aang? I mean, Aang's always been plenty tired when I teach him, but you never accuse me of trying to off him." She called out to the water bender.

"But, he's a _fire bender_; have you already forgotten about his whole "I'll kill you all and take the avatar to my father to regain my honor?" Katara snarled, angry at Sokka and Toph for not taking a stand against the fire bender. Was she the only one here with a brain? Had no one remembered the terror that Zuko had caused them as he chased them throughout the nations, toasting them with flames and nearly killing Aang and the rest of the group without remorse?

"It's ok, Katara, I'm not that tired." Aang said quietly, but the water bender was beyond listening to anyone.

"No, it's not ok; have all of you forgotten? Don't you realize he's trying to trick you? How can you just look past all his previous attempts to kill us all? What about that time when he helped get you _killed_? Huh, Aang? And before that, what about when he acted like he had turned and had this little act about how his mother was dead and how he was just misunderstood and then he tried to _kill _you and capture you right afterwards? What about that?" She shouted, throwing an accusing finger at the fire bender in question. Said fire bender pursed his lips, but remained stoic in the face of her claims, unexpectedly contemplative and calm compared to how Katara expected him to react.

"Katara, just calm down. I'm sure Zuko has a reason for working Aang this hard." Sokka said quickly, hoping to keep peace. As much as he trusted the fire bender, with Katara always nipping at his heels, Zuko had to be on edge; one push would send him into a temper. Zuko had always been volatile, and recently he had been rather pensive and quiet, so Sokka expected for the fire bender to snap sooner or later. His pent up anger had to find some outlet, right?

"Well, then tell us your reason, _fire bender_, and it'd better be good." Katara spat at said fire bender. She crossed her arms and adopted a tough face, glaring at the dark haired teen from her place by the fire as if she expected him to come at her with blazing fireballs and a giant pair of broadswords.

Instead, Zuko simply uncrossed his arms and turned so that he was looking outside of the cave, his back to the cave and is occupants. Katara bristled at this, erroneously taking his actions as a sign that he found her to be nonthreatening and was intent on ignoring her like the smug, superior ass that he was.

"Aang will face my father soon enough." Zuko said finally. His voice had deepened with some unknown emotion, thick and controlled. "He has to be strong enough to fight on par with a master fire bender. Not even I could possibly even think to beat my father, so Aang needs to be able to defeat me in any battle, and in any circumstance to even think to pose a threat to my father." He said quietly, almost matter of fact like it was only a matter of time before the showdown occurred. Katara clenched her fists.

"So Aang's power is weak, huh? So he's not even strong enough to go against you? How can you just throw that out so casually? Aang has water bending, earth bending, and air bending to rely on. Who cares if he isn't that good in fire bending?" She gritted out angrily. Jabbing a finger at the back of the firebender, she continued on vindictively.

"I bet you're just exaggerating; you're obsessed with your father. It was always about regaining your honor from your father in the beginning, and now it's about become powerful enough to defeat your father. It's like you make him to be some unstoppable force or a god and think that he has the power to do anything just because he's your father and he's the _firelord._ You're just blinded by your faith in your father that you—"

Katara's rant was cut off when Zuko whirled around. A snarl was painted on his face, his golden eyes crackling with fire. Sokka, Aang, and Toph stiffened.

"Shut up, Katara." Zuko growled. The water bender girl, for once, listened to the irate fire bender, and shut her mouth.

"Don't think that you can judge me on things you don't even know about. You don't understand anything about me; you judge me on the things that you've seen me do in the past, and can't get yourself to look at me in the present. All you can see is the me that you saw chase you and your friends across the world. But what you can't see is the me before that, or the me afterwards. If you're going to narrow your views and expect me to go rabid and yell about my honor every time I see the avatar, then fine, that's your opinion, but _don't _act like I'm the enemy because I'm not. At least have the decency to keep your thoughts to yourself and stop pretending to be half blind. I've done you no wrong since I've gone to your side, and even you have to admit that I've managed to teach Aang fire bending without burning him to a crisp. So shut up about your stupid views, and just let go of the past!" Zuko yelled.

Katara gaped at him. How dare he. How dare he yell at her. How dare he say that she was clinging to the 'past him.' She was most definantly not; Zuko hadn't changed a bit, and was merely biding his time in order to swoop in and snatch Aang.

"Then how do you feel about your father?" She demanded, clutching for evidence against Zuko. He scowled, and crossed his arms.

"I hate him." He said coldly. She stared at him hard, searching for any sign that he was lying. When she found none, she continued in her ruthless interrogation.

So… what would you do if you fought your father, and he begged for mercy?" She pressed.

"That's easy. I'd show him no mercy. He could burn and rot in hell for all I care." Zuko threw back at her with an equally ruthless tone of voice. Sokka frowned.

"Ok, look, I know that you switched to our side, and all that, but… to really not care about your father that much? How bad could he be?" He asked, thinking of his own deceased father and mother.

Zuko was silent for a moment, before sighing, and walking to the fire, and sitting down.

"Let me tell you a story. There was once a young boy who—"

Katara interrupted angrily. "Hang on; what does this have to do with anything? If you're trying to lead us on with a stupid story about a random kid, then—"

Aang finally cut in, tired of the relentless arguments between Katara and Zuko. "Katara, please. Just let Zuko tell the story; there's got to be a reason for it."

Katara huffed, but she shut her mouth and glared at the floor. Zuko, who had fallen silent, began telling his story again.

"There was once a young boy who lived in the fire nation. He was 13 years old, and naïve in the ways of the world. He was going to be an important person in the future, so he wanted to know everything there was to know about the world since he wanted to lead his people to greater heights in the world. Because of his ambition, he demanded to go to a war council meeting, wishing to know about military tactics in order to protect his people. His uncle allowed him entry, but told him to be silent and not speak out. He had not learned to be diplomatic, and did not understand the going ons of everything.

The boy agreed, and listened as a general outlined a diversionary tactic by sending in a group of new recruits in as decoys. The boy disagreed with this tactic as it would be sending the recruits to their death just so that they could try to attack the other nations. He spoke out about it, and the ozai, the firelord, was angry with him. By speaking out, he had dishonored the war council, and the general who had created the plan, and was therefore commanded to do agni kai."

Zuko's voice shook as he said the dreaded two words. Aang frowned. "Agni kai? What's that?" He asked. Zuko was quiet for a moment.

"Agni kai is a fire duel. A duel to death." He said. Katara gasped.

"But that's so horrible! Sentencing a 13 year old boy to a duel to death against a war general just because he spoke out about a military tactic that was about to send people to their deaths is so wrong!" She exclaimed. Zuko laughed coldly. Despite the fire, a cool breeze seemed to settle in the cave, and the flames flickered erratically, painting Zuko's face with shadows.

"That's where you're wrong." He said softly. Katara frowned.

"What do you mean? Don't tell me; you agree that the boy should duel in the agni kai and save his stupid pride right?" She retorted. Zuko lowered his head.

"No. What I meant was that the boy wasn't going to fight against a war general." Toph tilted her head.

"Then who was he going to fight?" She asked curiously.

"When the boy turned around to face his opponent, he discovered the person he was to fight… was the firelord. By dishonoring the war council's decision, he was dishonoring the firelord as well, so it was the firelord that he was to fight." Zuko said quietly. Sokka blinked.

"Oh… well, there isn't much difference, right? I mean, the war general may be weaker than the firelord, but the boy would lose either way, right?" He asked. Zuko shook his head.

"That may be, but… you see, I told you that the boy was going to be an important person. That's because, he was the son of the firelord." He said solemnly.

Aang's eyes widened. "So… then…"

"Yeah. He was supposed to face his father in a fight to death." Zuko sat quietly for a minute, before standing up.

"Hey, sit back down; the story isn't over!" Toph exclaimed as Zuko started walking away. He paused.

"I think it is. You already know the end of the story, don't you?" He asked quietly.

"Well, yeah, but you have to tell us so that we can be sure." Katara quipped. The fire bender turned.

"Tell me, Katara, what do you think happened to the boy?" He questioned. Katara blinked.

"Well… he fought, right? Since all you fire benders think about is honor, he must have decided fight his father to get his honor, and his father killed him, right?" She said. Zuko tilted his head in contemplation. Then, he sighed, and sat back down.

"You're wrong. When the boy turned around, and saw he father, he realized that he could not take on his father, and begged for forgiveness. His father saw it as a sign of weakness, and struck him down." Zuko paused again.

"The boy lived, but he was forever marked by his father. His father banished and exiled him for being so weak, and gave him a sign to remember his lapse of strength."

"Well, what was the mark?" Aang asked curiously, leaning towards the silent fire bender. Zuko lifted his head, and tapped a finger against the scar against his left eye.

"He burned his son on the left side of his face, and told him that if he could find and bring back the avatar, then his honor and pride would be regained. Not only that, but his banishment would be lifted, and he would be accepted by his father, who had always favored his younger sister over the boy." Zuko said emotionlessly, before standing up abruptly, and walking out of the cave, leaving behind the stunned GAang.

Sokka inhaled and exhaled heavily. "So… the story. It was about…"

"Zuko." Aang confirmed. Toph, tucked her feet under her legs and leaned forwards.

"So Zuko has a scar on his face? Huh, no wonder he got all touchy when I talked to him about looks and whatnot."

The three turned to Katara for her input. She thinned her lips, and crossed her arms, refusing to look at the other people in the cave.

"The water's getting low. Aang, can you go out and get some more?" She asked coolly. Aang blinked, but sighed, and walked to the water bucket.

"I'll be back soon." He said before walking out of the cave.

~o~

"Zuko." The fire bender turned from his seat on the ground. Aang stood, holding an empty bucket.

"I understand that you really hate your father for what he's done to you. And that's horrifying, it really is. But I still don't understand how you can just let him burn if he begged for mercy when you yourself have been in that exact position." The air bender sat down next to Zuko, and they both stared at the moon.

"It's not just that. I know the pain of being burned down. But I'm not bitter over that. It's just that my father has always favored my younger sister over me. "You were lucky to be alive," is what he'd always say to me at times. I no longer want his pride nor favor, however always being in the light of the outcast and weak, I have learned of my father's cruel nature.

"The reason I went after you after getting that burn was because all I wanted was for him to acknowledge my prowess in fire bending; for him to accept me for me, and not just cast me away because my sister was better than me. He ridiculed me. Compared me to my sister often and made sure that I knew of his contempt for my abilities. From the moment I was born my father labeled me as trash, and all I have known from him is his anger and disgust.

"The reason I'd let him burn is because he would do the same to me.

"My father is a cruel man; there is no goodness to him. Once he has deemed you unworthy, you will always be that way, no matter what. Even if I gave my father mercy, the moment I turned my back, I'd be stabbed and killed. My father is not like me. He's always been favored, always been in power. And power is all that he wants. If something threatens that, then they are to be killed. Unlike me, there is no reason for my father to be bitter or twisted; he made himself into what he was, and the reason was for power. I can't forgive him, nor can I look past him. I know my father, better than anyone else."

Zuko turned slightly to meet the avatar's eyes. "Aang. You must kill him; just letting him go with a warning won't stop him. He has to die in order for this madness to end—as long as he lives, he will continue to search for a rope to power. He won't stop until he is no longer alive."

The avatar sighed, and looked sadly at the moon.

"I know, Zuko."

And yet another weight was placed on his shoulders.


End file.
